It is well-known that iron ore pellets are made through processes in which iron ore is mixed with certain additives to prepare a chemical composition suitable for disk pelletizing or rotating drums. The resulting pellets are then taken to kilns where they are burned to become resistant to handling and suitable for use in reduction reactors. In fact, there are countless advantages of using iron ore pellets as liquid steel, especially as it generates fewer fines during handling and within the reduction reactor, and less slag is produced in relation to other liquid steel components, particularly sinters. However, with regard to fines generation, monitoring the physical quality of some kinds of iron ore pellets has historically shown an increasing loss of physical resistance, from its production until its use, including stacking time, time spent in the yards, and transportation. The degradation of the iron ore pellets' physical quality entails:                more fines generated when received by the customer;        loss of pellets' performance in the reduction process;        risk of contractual non-compliance;        restriction in pelletizing plants' productivity with a significant loss in revenue.        
It is also well known that a major cause of degradation in the iron ore pellets' physical quality is due to weathering, resulting from their interaction with moisture and other environmental agents. For this reason, rain water and the water used to cut down on particulate emission have a strong influence on the aging cycle frequency. However, so far, a truly effective mechanism has not been found that would cut down on the hydration process with subsequent slag phase solubilization during iron ore pellet stockpiling.